Ah! Into the Underworld!
by Danja
Summary: OneShot. Keiichi dies. Belldandy follows him into the Underworld. R


**Ah! Into the Underworld!**

A/N: This is my first AMG story. I hope you like it. :)**  
**

* * *

Keiichi walked down the street, a bag of groceries in each arm.

All at once, a gang of punks emerged from an alley and blocked his path.

"Give us your money," said one punk.

"Um, I've got my hands full," Keiichi replied sheepishly.

Another punk grabbed Keiichi and shoved him into the alley. A third punk pulled out a switchblade, wrapped his arm around Keiichi's neck, and stabbed Keiichi in the stomach.

Keiichi collapsed facedown on the ground, spilling his groceries. The punks ran laughing down the alley, without even so much as bothering to look for Keiichi's wallet.

* * *

Belldandy stood before the altar, polishing the temple's great statue of Buddha and humming a happy tune.

Urd stood behind Belldandy, sweeping the floor with a besom broom.

All at once, Belldandy dropped to her knees and clutched her stomach. A pained expression suddenly came over her face.

"_BELLDANDY!_" Urd screamed as she dropped the broom and ran to Belldandy's side. "Are you all right?"

Belldandy shook her head … No. "Something is wrong," she said. As quickly as the attack came, it passed.

Belldandy calmly stood up, turned towards Urd, and said, "Mr. Keiichi is in danger. We must go to him." With that, she and Urd ran out of the altar room, down the hallway, and into the bathroom.

Once inside the bathroom, Belldandy leaped into the mirror that hung over the sink, leaving Urd behind.

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" Urd shouted. In a flash of light, Urd too disappeared.

* * *

Belldandy emerged from the passenger-side mirror of a nearby parked car. She glanced frantically up and down the street, searching for Keiichi.

Belldandy found Keiichi lying in an alley, gasping for breath, one hand clutching his stomach. Overturned grocery bags lay scattered around him, their contents -- oranges, a cabbage, and several assorted jars -- strewn about the alley.

"_MR. KEIICHI!_" Belldandy screamed as she rushed to Keiichi's side.

Keiichi looked up at Belldandy. "Belldandy," he gasped.

"What happened?" Belldandy asked as she crouched down next to him. "Who did this to you?"

"Mugged," Keiichi gasped.

"You're a mess," said a feminine voice. Belldandy looked up to find Urd standing behind her, looking down at her and Keiichi.

"We must get you home … at once!" Belldandy exclaimed as she silently prepared a spell at the same time.

"Not … gonna … make it," said Keiichi, gasping for breath.

"Yes, you can. Just hold on!" Belldandy cried. _Aura turning black,_ she thought, concerned. _Not good._

Keiichi shook his head. "Good-bye … Belldandy," he said weakly. With that, he closed his eyes, breathed one last breath, and died.

"_MR. KEIICHI!_" Belldandy screamed in horror. Tears began streaming down her face.

Urd crouched down next to Belldandy. "Guess this is it," she said, her voice quavering. Death never came easily, even for a goddess such as Urd.

Belldandy wiped away a tear. "Not quite," she said. "There _IS _a way to bring him back."

"You don't mean …"

"I must follow Mr. Keiichi into the Land of the Dead," said Belldandy. With that, she placed her left hand on Keiichi's forehead and her right hand on Keiichi's heart.

"I'm coming with you!" Urd protested.

"_NO!_" Belldandy commanded firmly. "Mr. Keiichi needs you. You must stay here, by his side."

Urd glanced around, backed away, and nodded. _She's right._

"Good luck," said Urd.

Belldandy then disappeared into thin air.

* * *

_Is this what it's like to die? Keiichi wondered as he walked down the narrow, dimly lit corridor. His footsteps echoed with each step he took._

_Where's the white light? Keiichi wondered. The angels?_

_A low growl suddenly issued from the darkened corridor ahead of Keiichi._

_What _IS_ that? Keiichi wondered, the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly standing on end._

_The source of the growl soon made itself known to Keiichi: he suddenly found himself face-to-face with a massive, snarling, three-headed dog that was the size of an SUV._

_"Nice doggie," said Keiichi as the dog's three heads barked and clapped their jaws menacingly. "Staaay …"_

_"BEGONE, CERBERUS! DEPART FROM THIS PLACE!" a feminine voice boomed from behind Keiichi. "I, THE GODDESS BELLDANDY, _COMMAND_ IT!"_

_Upon hearing this, the three-headed dog turned and meekly walked away down the corridor like a whipped puppy. Keiichi turned to find Belldandy standing behind him, just to one side of him._

_Belldandy stared stonily down the corridor after the three-headed dog, her arms folded across her chest._

_I keep forgetting she's a_ goddess, _Keiichi thought after seeing Belldandy's naked display of raw power. She's not without some authority around here._

_"__Who _WAS_ that?" Keiichi asked Belldandy._

_"Cerberus," Belldandy replied. "Guardian of the Gates of the Underworld."_

_"What are you doing here?" Keiichi asked._

_"We must go back, Mr. Keiichi," said Belldandy. "Your time has not yet come."_

_"What have _I_ got to go back to?" Keiichi asked. "If I go back there, I'll have to face Mara!"_

_"I know you are afraid," said Belldandy quietly. "I know this must be tempting."_

_"You're telling _ME_."_

_"The longer you stay here, Mr. Keiichi," Belldandy continued. "Afraid … living in fear … the more powerful she becomes. The more powerful her _hold_ over you … becomes._

_"Your fear feeds her … strengthens her … sustains her. You are doing yourself no favors by staying here."_

_"Maybe this is the way it's _supposed_ to be," said Keiichi._

_Belldandy shook her head. "It does not have to be this way," she said softly. "You _DO_ have a choice."_

_"What am _I_ … against Mara?" Keiichi pleaded. "I'm just a college student … going against a _demon!

_"I'm a punching bag!"_

_"You are not alone," said Belldandy solemnly. "You have Urd … and you have _ME_. You are under the protection of _two_ goddesses._

_"Please … come back with me."_

_"I don't think I would be here if this wasn't … _my time_," Keiichi protested._

_"You have a choice," countered Belldandy. "If your time was truly past, you would not be here … in limbo._

_"Your fate would've been decided by The Almighty. You would be either in Heaven or in Hell …one or the other._

_After that, no force in the Universe would have been able to bring you back."_

_Keiichi paused to reflect on Belldandy's words. I guess she would know, he thought. She would probably know better than _I_ would._

_"That makes sense," said Keiichi finally._

_"Please … come back with me," Belldandy pleaded. "I love you … and I miss you."_

* * *

All at once, Keiichi opened his eyes, coughed, and spat up blood.

Urd looked down at the revived Keiichi. _Hot damn! She did it!_ Urd thought with a smile.

Belldandy appeared before Urd and Keiichi.

"Welcome back," said Urd to Belldandy.

Belldandy looked down at Keiichi. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his chin.

Belldandy gently stroked Keiichi's face, attempting to rouse him. "Mr. Keiichi, can you hear me?" she asked.

Keiichi nodded. "Yes," he replied weakly.

Belldandy took Keiichi in her arms and said, "Let us get you home."

* * *

Hours later, Belldandy and Urd sat _seiza _at the side of a sleeping Keiichi (The two goddesses having earlier healed his wounds.)

"I hope he's OK," said Urd.

"He will be fine," Belldandy replied confidently.

"I sure hope so," said Urd. She then added, "He IS kinda cute … as mortals go."

After a long silence, Urd said, "I gotta hand it to you … what you did back there … that took _guts_."

"What do you mean?" Belldandy asked.

"You know … going into the Underworld and all that."

Belldandy stared at the floor. "I just could not let him die," she said softly. "I just … _couldn't_."

Keiichi opened his eyes and stirred in bed. He took note of the two goddesses who were sitting at his bedside.

"Hi," said Keiichi.

Belldandy looked up at Keiichi.

"Hello," Belldandy replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," said Keiichi. "Thanks to you and Urd."

"Our pleasure," Urd said with a shy smile.

"I wanted to thank you … for taking such good care of me," said Keiichi.

"That is why we are here," said Belldandy proudly. "To _help_."

THE END


End file.
